Poodles on Parade

Remember the memo unearthed in Iraq listing the recipients of Saddam's "Oil-for-UN-Veto" bribes? (See tpfp post 2/9 6:12pm.) The Middle East Media Research Institute provides another English translation--with bios of the beneficiaries. Here's a excerpt, selected purely at random, describing the recipients from America's long-standing ally France:

Former interior minister Charles Pasqua (12 million barrels ) denied any involvement and suggested another, unnamed former French interior minister may have been the beneficiary. According to The New York Post Mr. Pasqua, "a close friend and former colleague of Chirac . . . fought to allow visits by top Iraqi officials to France in 1993."

Patrick Maugein, CEO of the oil firm SOCO International (25 million barrels), was quoted as saying that he did a lot of business in Iraq under the Oil for Food program, "but none of it was illegal." It was mentioned that the 55-year old businessman "appears to wield [influence] with President Jacques Chirac."

Bernard Merimee (3 million and another 8 million barrels) was the French Ambassador to the United Nations and France's representative in the Security Council.

Michael Grimard (17 million barrels) is the founder of the French-Iraqi Export Club.

Gilles Munier, secretary general of the Franco-Iraqi Friendship Association, said his organization introduced numerous businesses, oil and otherwise, to contracts in Iraq, but that it was all perfectly legal. For each successful introduction, he said he "received a commission."

Next: a stampede to join the French-Iraqi "Export" Club.